Vacuum cleaner with latching arrangement

ABSTRACT

A vacuum cleaner having a dirt collecting system including a latch to seal a positively pressurized dirt cup. The latch also serves to secure the dirt cup to the cleaner housing when in the closed position. The dirt cup is formed with a first dirt collecting chamber and a second dirt collecting chamber separated by an apertured wall. An inlet opening is formed in the dirt cup and communicates with the first dirt collecting chamber for inputting a stream of dirt laden air into the first dirt collecting chamber. An exhaust opening is formed in the second dirt collecting chamber for allowing the filtered air stream to exit the dirt cup. The aperture wall includes a pre-filter for filtering coarse particles from a stream of dirt laden and depositing the coarse particles in the first dirt collecting chamber. A filter member is positioned within the second dirt collecting chamber and communicates with the exhaust port. The filter element filters fine particles from the air stream and deposits the fine particles within the second dirt collecting chamber. The filter member is supported by a filter support which extends from the aperture wall to vertically support the filter member within the second dirt collecting chamber. The aperture wall, filter support and filter member are removably mounted within the dirt cup to provide for removal and cleaning thereof.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a Continuation Application of U.S.application Ser. No. 09/519,106 filed on Mar. 6, 2000.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Technical Field

[0003] Generally, the invention relates to vacuum cleaners.Particularly, the invention relates to a vacuum cleaner including a dirtcollecting system having a latching arrangement. Even more particularly,the invention relates to a bagless vacuum cleaner having a latchingarrangement for sealing the dirt cup.

[0004] 2. Background Information

[0005] Upright vacuum cleaners are well known in the art. Typically,these upright vacuum cleaners include a vacuum cleaner housing pivotallymounted to a vacuum cleaner foot. The foot is formed with a nozzleopening and may include an agitator mounted therein for loosening dirtand debris from a floor surface. A motor may be mounted to either thefoot or the housing for producing suction at the nozzle opening. Thesuction at the nozzle opening picks up the loosened dirt and debris andproduces a stream of dirt-laden air which is ducted to the vacuumcleaner housing.

[0006] In conventional vacuum cleaners, the dirt laden air is ductedinto a vacuum cleaner filter bag supported on or within the vacuumcleaner housing. However, bagless vacuum cleaners have recently becomeprevalent in the marketplace. These bagless vacuum cleaners duct thestream of dirt-laden air into a dirt cup having a dirt collecting systemwhich filters the dirt particles from the air stream before exhaustingthe filtered air stream into the atmosphere. Various dirt collectingsystems have been used on these bagless vacuum cleaners to separate thedirt particles from the air stream. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 946,535discloses a receptacle having a filter element upstream of an exhaustopening of the receptacle. The dirt particles are separated from the airstream by the filter element before the air stream exits the receptacle.U.S. Pat. No. 2,768,707 discloses a cyclonic separator which uses atangential input in combination with a cone of decreasing top to bottomcross sectional dimension. As the air stream enters the cone in atangential direction, the dirt particles are released from the airstream due to centrifugal force and gravity. Other known bagless vacuumcleaners include a dirt cup having a single cylindrical filter elementpositioned therein whereby the air is input tangentially into the dirtcup to create a cyclonic action within the dirt cup chamber. Thiscyclonic action causes the larger dirt particles contained in cyclonicair stream to fall therefrom due to the centrifugal force and gravity.The smaller dirt particles are then separated by the filter element asthe air stream flows through the filter element and is exhausted fromthe dirt cup.

[0007] Although these bagless vacuum cleaners are adequate for thepurpose for which they are intended, mechanical separation of dirtparticles may sufficiently separate the relatively large dirt particlesfrom the air stream but it is well known that some type of filterelement is typically required to separate the fine dirt particles fromthe air stream. Further, the cleaners having a single chamber with afilter element mounted therein subject the filter element to both thelarge particles and the small particles causing the filter element toclog. This clogged filter element results in reduction in the airflowthrough the vacuum cleaner which, in turn, results in reducedperformance of the vacuum cleaner.

[0008] Therefore, the need exists for a new and improved dirt collectingsystem for a bagless vacuum cleaner which is capable of separating bothlarge particles and small particles from a stream of air, and whichseparates the large particles from the air stream before the air streamis filtered by the filter element.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Objectives of the invention include providing a new and improveddirt collecting system for use in a bagless vacuum cleaner.

[0010] A further objective is to provide a new and improved dirtcollecting system which provides improved sustained filtrationperformance.

[0011] A still further objective is to provide a new and improved dirtcollecting system for use in a bagless vacuum cleaner which may beeasily emptied after use.

[0012] A yet still further objective is to provide a new and improveddirt collecting system for use in a bagless vacuum cleaner having alatch to seal the dirt in the dirt collecting chamber.

[0013] These and other objectives will be readily apparent from thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings.

[0014] In carrying out the invention in one form thereof, theseobjectives and advantages are obtained by providing a dirt collectingsystem, including a first dirt collecting chamber; a second dirtcollecting chamber laterally disposed relative to the first dirtcollecting chamber; and an apertured wall extending between the firstand second dirt collecting chambers, said apertured wall being formedwith an aperture which provides fluid communication between said firstand second dirt collecting chambers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0015] Embodiments of the invention, illustrative of several modes inwhich applicants have contemplated applying the principles are set forthby way of example in the following description and are shown in thedrawings and are particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forthin the appended claims.

[0016]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner which includesone embodiment of the present dirt collecting system;

[0017]FIG. 1A is a diagrammatic view showing the vacuum cleaner of FIG.1 having a direct air system;

[0018]FIG. 1B is a diagrammatic view showing the vacuum cleaner of FIG.1 having an indirect air system;

[0019]FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the vacuum cleaner of FIG. 1;

[0020]FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the foot of the vacuum cleaner ofFIG. 1 showing air flowing through the direct air system;

[0021]FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the dirt cup exploded fromthe vacuum cleaner housing;

[0022]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the dirt cup showing a filterassembly exploded therefrom;

[0023]FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the dirt cup with the filterassembly contained therein;

[0024]FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the dirt cup of FIG. 6;

[0025]FIG. 8 is a top plan view similar to FIG. 7 with the dirt cup lidremoved;

[0026]FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line 9-9, FIG. 6;

[0027]FIG. 10 is a greatly enlarged sectional view taken from FIG. 9showing the apertured wall;

[0028]FIG. 10A is a sectional view similar to FIG. 10 showing a secondembodiment of the aperatured wall;

[0029]FIG. 10B is a sectional view similar to FIG. 10 showing a thirdembodiment of the apertured wall;

[0030]FIG. 11 is a greatly enlarged sectional view of the encircledportion of FIG. 9;

[0031]FIG. 11A is a diagrammatic view of the pleated filter material ofFIG. 11;

[0032]FIG. 11B is a diagrammatic view similar to FIG. 11A showing asecond embodiment of the pleated filter material;

[0033]FIG. 11C is a diagrammatic view similar to FIG. 11A showing athird embodiment of the pleated filter material;

[0034]FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along line 12-12, FIG. 6;

[0035]FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along line 13-13, FIG. 7;

[0036]FIG. 13A is an enlarged sectional view of the encircled portion ofFIG. 13;

[0037]FIG. 14 is a rear elevational view of the dirt cup;

[0038]FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the apertured wall and filtersupports;

[0039]FIG. 16 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 12 showing the filterassembly partially exploded from the dirt cup;

[0040]FIG. 17 is an enlarged sectional view showing the latchingmechanism in an open position;

[0041]FIG. 18 is an enlarged sectional view similar to FIG. 17 showingthe latching mechanism being pivoted to a closed position;

[0042]FIG. 19 is an enlarged sectional view similar to FIG. 18 showingthe latching mechanism in the closed position;

[0043]FIG. 20A is a sectional view showing a first stage of dirtaccumulation within the dirt cup;

[0044]FIG. 20B is a sectional view similar to FIG. 20A showing a secondstage of dirt accumulation within the dirt cup;

[0045]FIG. 20C is a sectional view similar to FIG. 20A showing a thirdstage of dirt accumulation within the dirt cup;

[0046]FIG. 20D is a sectional view similar to FIG. 20A showing a fourthstage of dirt accumulation within the dirt cup;

[0047]FIG. 21A is a sectional view showing a second embodiment of thedirt collecting system;

[0048]FIG. 21B is a sectional view showing a third embodiment of thedirt collecting system;

[0049]FIG. 22 is a sectional view showing a fourth embodiment of thedirt collecting system; and

[0050]FIG. 23 is a sectional view showing a fifth embodiment of the dirtcollecting system;

[0051] Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0052] A vacuum cleaner incorporating the present dirt collecting systemis shown in FIG. 1 and is indicated generally at 100. Vacuum cleaner 100includes a vacuum cleaner foot 102 and a vacuum cleaner housing 104connected to the vacuum cleaner foot 102. The foot 102 is formed with abottom nozzle opening 106 (FIG. 3) which opens towards a floor surface108. An agitator 110 is positioned within an agitator chamber 112 whichcommunicates with the nozzle opening 106. The agitator 110 rotates abouta horizontal axis for loosening dirt from the floor surface 108. Amotor-fan assembly 114 is positioned within the foot 102 and is fluidlyconnected to the agitator chamber 112 by a dirt duct 116. It isunderstood that although motor-fan assembly 114 is shown positioned onthe foot 102, the motor-fan assembly could instead be positioned withinhousing 104 without affecting the concept of the invention. Motor-fanassembly 114 creates a suction at an inlet opening 118 thereof which, inturn, creates a suction in dirt duct 116, agitator chamber 112 andnozzle opening 106. This suction draws the loosened dirt from floorsurface 108 into nozzle opening 106 and creates a stream of dirt-ladenair which travels through the agitator chamber, dirt duct and into themotor-fan assembly, as indicated by arrows A of FIG. 3. The stream ofdirt-laden air is blown upwardly through an outlet 120 of the motor-fanassembly, as shown by arrows B of FIG. 3, and into a dirt duct 122(FIGS. 2 and 4) formed in the vacuum cleaner housing 104.

[0053] In the present embodiment, the vacuum cleaner housing 104 ispivotal relative to the foot 102 with dirt duct 122 telescoping overmotor-fan outlet 120 to provide fluid communication therebetween. Vacuumcleaner housing 104 is formed with a rear wall 130 (FIG. 4), a pair ofside walls 132 and 134 extending outwardly from rear wall 130, a bottomwall 136 and a top handle cover 138. The rear wall 130, side walls 132and 134, bottom wall 136 and top handle cover 138 form a front cavity140 for receiving a dirt cup or container 150 (shown in detail in FIGS.5-9 and 12-14). The top handle cover 138 tapers upwardly to an upperhandle 142 of the vacuum cleaner 100 and is formed with a front centralindented area 152 which opens upwardly to form a carry handle 154 (bestseen in FIGS. 17-19). Dirt duct 122 of the housing has a duct opening156 which is formed in the bottom wall 136 and which is positionedadjacent to the rear wall 130. An inlet seal 158 is positioned about theduct opening 156.

[0054] Referring back to FIG. 4, a dirt cup housing support 160 ispositioned within housing 104 with a top surface 162 thereof partiallyforming bottom wall 136. The top surface 162 of housing support 160 isformed with a recessed area 164 for receiving and supporting the dirtcup 150, as described below. A circular outlet opening 166 is formed inthe top surface 162 of the housing support 160 with an outlet seal 168extending about the inner edge thereof. The outlet opening 166communicates with a discharge duct 170 which directs the air downwardlyinto the dirt cup housing support 160 then turns upwardly along the sidewall 132 of the housing to communicate with a discharge system 172. Thedischarge or exhaust system 172 of vacuum cleaner 100 is generallysimilar to that shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,946,771 which isincorporated herein by reference.

[0055] The present dirt collecting system is shown in FIGS. 5-13 andgenerally includes the dirt cup 150, a filter assembly 180 removablymounted within the dirt cup 150 and a dirt cup lid 182 which enclosesthe dirt cup 150. The dirt cup 150 includes a bottom wall 184 (FIG. 6),a generally flat rear wall 186 (FIG. 8), a pair of curved side walls 188and 190, and a front wall 192. Rear wall 186, side walls 188 and 190 andfront wall 192 extend upwardly from the bottom wall 184 to form a dirtcup chamber 194. Front wall 192 curves inwardly from each side wall toform a front center indentation 196 (FIG. 9) in the dirt cup 150 whichgives the dirt cup an appearance of having two dirt separation chambers.A finger handle 198 is formed centrally on the front wall 192 adjacent atop edge 200 (FIG. 8) of the dirt cup 150. Finger handle 198 extendsoutwardly and downwardly to form a pocket 202 (FIG. 12) for receiving auser's fingers when the dirt cup 150 is removed from or placed on thevacuum cleaner 104. The bottom of bottom wall 184 of the dirt cup 150 isformed with an inwardly stepped portion 204 (FIG. 6) which is receivedwithin the recessed area 164 of the housing support 160. An exhaust port205 (FIG. 13) extends upwardly from the bottom wall 184 of the dirt cup.A front guide rib 206 (FIG. 9) extends inwardly from the front wall 192of the dirt cup 150, and a rear guide rib 207 extends inwardly from therear wall 186 of the dirt cup 150. The front guide rib 206 is formedwith a top step 208 (FIG. 16) and a bottom step 209 at an inner top edgethereof. A partition wall 210 extends upwardly from the bottom wall 184of the dirt cup 150. Partition wall 210 extends between the front wall192 and the rear wall 186 of the dirt cup and includes a top edge 211which sits approximately ¾ inches above the bottom wall 184. In thepresent embodiment, the dirt cup is a one-piece member molded of ABS andincludes an anti-static additive to prevent dirt from electrostaticallyadhering to the walls of the dirt cup. However, it is understood thatthe dirt cup may be formed of any number of suitable materials, andparticularly plastic materials, without affecting the concept of theinvention.

[0056] Referring to FIG. 5, the filter assembly 180 generally includesan apertured wall 212, a filter support 214 extending from the aperturedwall 212 and a primary filter member 280 which removably mounts on thefilter support 214. The filter assembly 180, and particularly theapertured wall 212 thereof, along with the partition wall 210 separatethe dirt cup chamber 194 into a first dirt collecting chamber 216 and asecond dirt collecting chamber 218 (FIGS. 8, 9 and 13). The aperturedwall 212 is positioned between rear wall 186 and front wall 192 and isformed with a plurality of apertures or holes 220. The holes 220 providefor fluid communication between the first dirt collecting chamber 216and the second dirt collecting chamber 218.

[0057] The apertured wall 212 functions as a coarse particle separatoror pre-filter and could include any number of holes having variousshapes (circular, square, elliptical, etc.), sizes and angles. Tomaximize airflow through the holes while still preventing large debrisfrom passing therethrough, it is desirable to form the holes as large as0.0036 square inches and as small as a 600 mesh screen. In the presentembodiment, the holes 212 are circular with a hole diameter ofapproximately 0.030 inches. Further, the apertured wall should be formedwith enough total opening area to maintain airflow through the dirt cup.It is desirable to form apertured wall with a total opening area ofbetween approximately 2.5 square inches to approximately 4 squareinches. In the present embodiment, there are approximately 196holes/inch² with the holes 212 form a total opening area ofapproximately 3.2 square inches. In the present embodiment, theapertured wall 212 is a one-piece member integrally molded of a plasticmaterial, such as a polypropylene and may include an anti-staticadditive to prevent dirt from electrostatically adhering thereto.However, it is understood that the apertured wall may be formed of anumber of different materials such as metal or synthetic mesh orscreens, cloth, foam, a high-density polyethylene material, aperturedmolded plastic or metal, or any other woven, non-woven, natural orsynthetic coarse filtration materials without affecting the concept ofthe invention.

[0058]FIGS. 10, 10A and 10B are cross sections of three alternativeembodiments of molded plastic screens that may be used to form theapertured wall 212. It will be appreciated that molded screens havingother configurations than those described and illustrated may beemployed. FIG. 10 illustrates a molded screen panel 450 formed withapertures or holes 452 that extend straight through the panel, forming aright angle with an upstream surface 454 and a downstream surface 456 ofthe panel. The holes 452 may be formed with tapered outer edges on theupstream surface 454 and the downstream surface 456 of the panel. ArrowD illustrate the air stream as it enters the dirt cup 150 and impingesupon the screen panel 450. The incoming air must make a sharp turn inorder to pass through the apertures 452 in the panel 450. Because of therelatively large mass and momentum of the dirt relative to the air, thedirt contained within the air stream will travel past the apertureswhile a portion of the air will turn and flow through the apertures.Furthermore, the remaining portion of the incoming air stream blowsacross the upstream surface 454 of panel 40, and blows away any debristhat may have accumulated on the upstream surface of the screen panel.The incoming air stream thereby keeps a portion of the screen panelsubstantially clear of debris, as described below.

[0059]FIG. 10A illustrates a second embodiment of the apertured wall andincludes a molded screen panel 460. Molded screen panel 460 is formedwith apertures or holes 462 at an acute angle relative to the incomingair stream, as indicated by arrows D. The apertures 462 of screen panel460 require the incoming air stream to perform a relatively sharp turnto pass through the apertured wall. Again, a portion of the relativelylight air is able to make the turn while the relatively heavy debrisflows past the apertures and the remaining air blows across the screenremoving any particles which have accumulated on the screen panel.

[0060]FIG. 10B illustrates a third embodiment of the apertured wall andincludes a molded screen panel 470. Screen panel 470 is formed withapertures 472 which extend at an even more acute angle to the incomingair stream (arrows D) than the apertures of panel 460 of FIG. 10A. Anupstream surface 474 of screen panel 470 is formed with a ramped outersurface 476 and a straight inner surface 478. Ramped outer surface 476extends generally parallel to apertures 472 and forms an acute anglewith the incoming air stream similar to that of apertures 472. Straightinner surfaces 478 extend inwardly from the outer tip of ramped surfaces476 to form a right angle with a downstream surface 480 of the screenpanel. Apertures 472 open towards the straight inner surface 478. Theramped outer surface 476 guides the incoming air stream outwardly awayfrom screen panel 470 requiring the air to perform a sharp turn to passthrough the apertured wall. Again, a portion of the relatively light airis able to make the sharp inward turn while the relatively heavy debrisflows past and away from the apertures. As with the above embodiments,the dirt contained within the incoming air stream will impinge on anyparticles which have accumulated on the screen panel to substantiallyclean a portion of the screen panel.

[0061] Referring to FIG. 15, the apertured wall 212 includes a top 222,a bottom 224, a first upstream side 226 (FIGS. 12 and 16) which facesand partially forms first dirt collecting chamber 216, a seconddownstream side 228 which faces and partially forms second dirtcollecting chamber 218, a front end 230 and a rear end 232. Each of ends230 and 232 of the apertured wall 212 is formed with a generallyvertically extending channel 234 and 236, respectively (FIG. 9). Asshown in FIG. 9, channels 234 and 236 slidingly receive guide ribs 206and 207, respectively, of the dirt cup 150 for removably mounting thefilter assembly 180 within the dirt cup chamber 194. One side of thefront channel 234 is formed with a top rest 238 (FIG. 15) which abutsthe top step 208 of the front guide rib 206 to support filter assembly180 within the dirt cup 150. A notch 240 is formed in each of ends 230and 232 of the apertured wall adjacent to the top thereof whichcommunicates with respective channels 234 and 236. The notches 240provide openings through which dirt trapped in the channels may beexpelled therefrom. A bottom channel 242 (FIG. 13) is formed on thebottom 224 of the apertured wall 212 for receiving the top edge 211 ofpartition wall 210. A lip 244 extends downwardly from the bottom of theapertured wall to form one side of bottom channel 242. The lip 244 ispositioned within the first dirt collecting chamber 216 juxtaposed withpartition wall 210. The lip 244 overlaps a portion of the partition wall210 to form a labyrinth seal between first dirt collecting chamber 216and second dirt collecting chamber 218 as shown in FIG. 13.

[0062] As shown in detail in FIG. 13A, the top step 208 stops the filterassembly 180 before the bottom 224 of apertured wall 212 contacts thetop edge 211 of partition wall 210, thus maintaining a gap 246 betweenthe partition wall 210 and the apertured wall 212. It is understoodhowever, that apertured wall 212 may abut and rest on the partition wall210 without affecting the concept of the invention. A horizontal tab 250(FIG. 8) extends outwardly from the apertured wall 212 and is positionedadjacent to the top 222 thereof. Horizontal tab 250 provides an area forgrasping the filter assembly 180 as well as an area upon which an upwardforce may be applied for removal of the filter assembly from dirt cup150. A vertical tab 252 (FIG. 13) extends outwardly from one end of theapertured wall 212 and is positioned adjacent to the top 222 thereof.Vertical tab 252 provides an area for grasping the filter assembly 180during placement within and removal from the dirt cup 150. Ahorizontally extending recess 254 (FIG. 14) is formed in the verticaltab 252 which faces the rear wall 186 of the dirt cup 150. Ahorizontally rib 256 extends outwardly from the rear wall 186 of thedirt cup 150 to frictionally engage the recess 254. The frictionalengagement between the rib 256 and the recess 254 retains the filterassembly 180 within the dirt cup chamber 194 during emptying of the dirtcup 150, as described below.

[0063] Referring to FIG. 14, a dirt duct 258 is formed integrally withthe dirt cup 150 and includes a pair of opposed side duct walls 260 and262, a top duct wall 263, and a rear duct wall 264 extending between andconnecting side duct walls 260 and 262. Side duct wall 260 is formedwith a horizontally inclined or inwardly angled upper portion 266 whichcauses the air stream flowing within dirt duct 258 to enter the dirt cupin at an acute angle to the apertured wall. The dirt duct 258 is formedwith a flat truncated corner 268 between side duct wall 262 and top ductwall 263. Dirt duct 258 communicates with the dirt duct 116 of vacuumcleaner housing 104 with the inlet seal 158 sealing the connectiontherebetween. An inlet opening 270 (FIGS. 6 and 13) is formed in therear wall 186 of the dirt cup 150 for providing fluid communicationbetween the dirt duct 258 and the first dirt-collecting chamber 216.Inlet opening 270 is generally rectangular in shape with a slight inwardtop-to-bottom taper and is positioned adjacent the apertured wall 212for inputting the dirt-laden air stream into first dirt collectingchamber 216, as described below in further detail. It is understood thatalthough the dirt duct 258 is shown formed integrally with the dirt cup150, dirt duct 258 may be formed on the vacuum cleaner housing 104 withinlet opening 270 communicating therewith at the rear of the dirt cup150. Inlet seal 158 would be positioned about the duct opening toprovide fluid air-tight communication between the dirt duct 258 of thehousing and inlet opening 270.

[0064] Referring to FIG. 13, the inlet opening 270 directs thedirt-laden air towards the apertured wall 212 at an acute angle. Bydirecting the air stream angularly at the wall, the incoming air fromthe inlet opening acts to clean the apertured wall by impinging on anydirt particles which have accumulated thereon. By cleaning the aperturedwall, the incoming airflow prevents a build-up of dirt on the aperturedwall which may clog the holes 220 and reduce airflow through the dirtcollecting system which, in turn, will reduce performance of the vacuumcleaner. This self-cleaning feature of the filter assembly is created bya combination of the angle the upper portion 266 of the side duct wall260 and the size of the inlet opening 270. Too large of an inlet openingdoes not produce a sufficient air flow velocity to displace accumulateddirt particles from the apertured wall. Too small of an inlet openingwill restrict air flow through the system and reduce cleaningperformance of the vacuum cleaner 100. It is desirable to form the inletopening with total opening size of between approximately 1.5 to 4.0inch². In the present embodiment, inlet opening 270 has a total openingsize of approximately 2.4 inch².

[0065] After the stream of dirt laden air is drawn into the motor-fanassembly it is blown out motor-fan outlet 120, as shown by arrows B ofFIG. 3. The dirt-laden air flows through the dirt duct 122 of thehousing 104 and the dirt duct 258 of the dirt cup 150, as shown byarrows C of FIG. 12. As the air flows upwardly through dirt duct 258,the dirt flowing adjacent to side duct wall 262 will deflect offtruncated corner 268 and flow towards angled upper portion 266 of sideduct wall 260. The angled upper portion 266 of the side wall 260 directsthe air stream angularly through inlet opening 270 and towards theapertured wall 212, as indicated by arrows D of FIGS. 9, 10 and 13. Thedirt-laden air flows across apertured wall 212 and is directed towardsthe front wall 192 of the dirt cup 150. Because front wall 192 and sidewall 190 of the dirt cup 150 are curved, the air stream flows alongthese walls and begins a cyclonic action within the first dirtcollecting chamber 216. Additionally, because the dirt-laden air streamis flowing from the confined area of the dirt ducts into the relativelylarge area of the first dirt collecting chamber 216, the first dirtcollecting chamber acts as an expansion chamber allowing the air streamto expand and reduce its velocity. This expansion and reduced velocityor slowing of the air stream, along with the cyclonic action within thefirst dirt collecting chamber allows the relatively heavy dirt particlesand other relatively heavy debris to separate and fall from the airstream. These separated dirt particles collect in the first dirtcollecting chamber 216. The air stream then flows through the holes orapertures 220 formed in the apertured wall 212 thus providing additionalcoarse separation of relatively large dirt particles and other debrisfrom the air stream.

[0066] Referring to FIG. 13 and in accordance with the invention, afilter member 280 is positioned within the second dirt collectingchamber 218 and is supported above the bottom wall 184 of the dirt cupby a filter support 214. Filter member 280 is a generally cylindrical ortubular member formed by a pleated filter material or media 284 pottedwithin a closed top end cap 286 and a circular open bottom end cap 288.The filter material 284, the top end cap 286 and the bottom end cap 288form a cylindrical interior 290 of filter member 280. Pleated filtermaterial 284 is shown in detail in FIG. 11 and forms a plurality ofadjacent outwardly extending peaks 292 and inwardly extending valleys294 which increase the amount of filter surface area available to thefilter member as compared to a flat sheet cylindrical filter. Referringback to FIG. 13, the top end cap 286 is formed with an upwardlyextending circular post 296 having a diameter smaller than that of thetop end cap. A support cage 300 is positioned within the cylindricalinterior 290 of the filter member 280 to provide inward support forpleated filter material 284. Support cage 300 is potted within theclosed top end cap 286 and includes a plurality of downwardly extendingposts 302 interconnected by three spaced circular rings 304. The outersurface of posts 302 and rings 304 abut the inner surface of the pleatedfilter material to prevent the filter media from collapsing inwardlywhen an air pressure is applied against the outer surface of the filterelement.

[0067] Filter material 284 is shown in detail in FIG. 11 and includes afirst inner layer 306 formed of a melt-blown polypropylene, a secondmiddle layer 308 formed of a spun-bond polyester and an outer thirdlayer 310 formed of an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE)membrane. The ePTFE outer layer 310 provides non-stick properties to thefilter member 280 and allows any dirt or dust accumulated on the filtermember to be easily displaced therefrom. Although the filter material284 is shown and described as having three layers, it is understood thatthe filter material may include any number of layers or be formed of anynumber of materials such as a micro-glass or a melt-blown polyesterwithout affecting the concept of the invention. Additionally, the filtermaterial 284 may be formed of a moldable bi-component polyester materialhaving outer ePTFE layer 310 attached to the upstream surface thereof.In the present invention, for example, it is desirable for the filtermaterial 284 to provide high efficiency particulate air (HEPA)filtration. However, filter media that does not meet HEPA levels offiltration may also be employed in accordance with the presentinvention. For example, micro-filtration media which remove commonallergens from the air, but do not meet HEPA filtration standards, arewell known in the art and may be used in place of HEPA filtration media.Further, although the filter material 284 is shown in FIGS. 9, 11 and11A as being pleated with symmetrically formed peaks and valleys, thefilter material may include alternate shaped pleats. For example, FIG.11B shows a filter material 312 which includes rounded valleys 314upstream of the airflow which form corresponding rounded peaks 316downstream of the airflow. FIG. 11C shows a filter material 318 havingflat squared-off valleys 320 upstream of the airflow which formcorresponding flat peaks 322 downstream of the airflow. Forming thefilter material with the rounded valleys 314 or flat valleys 320 mayreduce the amount of dirt and debris that gets wedged within the pointedvalleys of the filter material of FIG. 11A thus allowing the filterelement 280 to be more easily cleaned by a user.

[0068] Referring to FIG. 15, the filter support 214 extends outwardlyfrom the apertured wall 212 and includes a top filter support member 330and a bottom filter support member 332. A pair of deflector walls 334extend vertically along apertured wall 212 between top filter supportmember 330 and bottom filter support member 332. The top filter supportmember 330 has a pair of outwardly extending opposed fingers 336 and 338which receive the circular post 296 of the top end cap 286. Fingers 336and 338 extend horizontally from the apertured wall to form an opening340 therebetween which narrows into a smaller cutout area 342. Cutoutarea 342 provides sufficient flexibility to the fingers 336 and 338 toallow the fingers to deflect outwardly when the circular post 296 isinserted within or removed from the top filter support member 330.Bottom filter support member 332 is formed with a circular opening 344for receiving and supporting the open bottom end cap 288 of the filtermember 280, as described below. A center of circular opening 344 of thebottom filter support member aligns with the center of the opening 340of the top filter support member 330 to vertically support the filtermember 280 within the second dirt collecting chamber 218 as shown inFIGS. 6 and 13. Referring back to FIG. 15, a pair of holes 346 is formedin the bottom filter support member 332 on each side thereof to allowdirt filtered in the second dirt collecting chamber 218 to settle to thebottom of the dirt cup 150.

[0069] Referring to FIG. 13, the open bottom end cap 288 of the filtermember 280 has an outer diameter greater than that of circular opening344 of bottom support member 332 and includes an inward step 348 whichengages and rests on the bottom filter support member 332. Open bottomend cap 288 is formed of an injection molded urethane and includes athin upwardly and outwardly extending flared seal 350. The bottom endcap 288 extends down into the exhaust port 205 whereby the flared seal350 of the filter member 280 deflects against the inner surface ofexhaust port 205 to provide an airtight seal between bottom end cap 288and the inner surface of the exhaust port 205. This air tightrelationship between the flared seal 350 and the exhaust port 205provides fluid communication between the interior 290 of the filtermember 280 and the outlet opening 166 of the vacuum cleaner housing 104.When dirt cup 150 is assembled on vacuum cleaner housing 104, bottomwall 184 of the dirt cup 150 sits on the dirt cup housing support 160with the outlet seal 168 sandwiched therebetween. Outlet seal 168 sealsthe connection between the exhaust port 205 and the outlet opening 166.

[0070] As the air stream flows through apertured wall 212 into thesecond dirt collecting chamber 218, deflector walls 334 deflect the airstream straight into the second dirt collecting chamber in a directionperpendicular to the apertured wall 212. The air stream flows around thefilter member 280 and through the filter material 284 to the interior290 of the filter member, as indicated by arrows E of FIG. 13. Thefilter member 280 functions as a primary filter to separate the smallerlighter dirt particles from the air stream which passed through theapertured wall 212. The filtered particles fall to the bottom of thesecond dirt collecting chamber 218 with the holes 346 of the bottomfilter support member allowing the dirt to settle below the bottomfilter support member. This area between the bottom filter supportmember 332 and the bottom of dirt cup 150 forms a settling chamber 354which has a reduced airflow therein. The dirt particles which collectwithin this settling chamber 354 are not subjected to the higherairflows within the second dirt collecting chamber which would agitatethe collected dirt particles causing the dirt particles to becomeairborne and possibly collect on the filter member. As shown by arrows Eof FIG. 13, the air stream is directed downwardly within the interior290 of the filter element 280 and out the bottom of the dirt cup throughthe exhaust port 205. The exhausted air flows into discharge duct 170,where it is again filtered by the final filter of the exhaust systembefore being exhausted into the atmosphere.

[0071] Referring to FIG. 13, the dirt cup 150 is enclosed by the dirtcup lid 182. The lid 182 removably mounts on the top edge 200 (FIG. 8)of the dirt cup 150 for enclosing the dirt cup chamber 194. Lid 182 hasa bottom surface 360 which is formed with a peripheral groove 362 and acenter groove 364 extending between and connecting a front and rearportion of the peripheral groove 362. A lid seal 366 is positionedwithin the peripheral groove 362 and the center groove 364 to seal dirtcup chamber 194. The top 222 of apertured wall 212 sits flush with thetop of the front guide rib 206 and slightly below the top edge of thedirt cup. The center groove 364 receives the top 222 of apertured wall212 and the top of the front guide rib 206 (FIG. 12) for sealing the topof first dirt collecting chamber 216 from the top of second dirtcollecting chamber 218.

[0072] Referring to FIG. 7, the lid 182 is formed with a top surface 368having an upwardly extending wall 370 around a portion of the peripheraledge of the lid. The wall 370 extends inwardly at a center portionthereof with a pair of side walls 372 and 374, and a back wall 376forming a recessed area 378. A latching tab 380 is formed on each of theside walls 372 and 374 with each latching tab including a flat latchingshoulder 382 (FIG. 12) and an angled top surface 384. A back latchingtab 386 extends outwardly from the back wall 376 into recessed area 378.A plurality of spaced parallel ribs 390 are formed on the top surface368 of the lid 182 behind and adjacent to back wall 376. Ribs 390 extendin a front to rear direction and are formed with a rounded top surface392 (FIG. 13).

[0073] Referring to FIGS. 17-19, the lid 182 is engaged by a latchingmechanism 400 which is mounted within the indented area 152 of the tophandle cover 138. Latching mechanism 400 is movable between a latchedposition of FIG. 19 and an unlatched position of FIG. 17. Latchingmechanism 400 includes a latch support 402 and a latch member 404pivotally mounted on the latch support 402. The latch support 402 isrigidly secured to the vacuum cleaner housing 104 and includes a pair ofopposed ends 406 each of which are formed with a circular hole. Theholes of ends 406 are aligned with one another to receive a pivot shaft410. A stop 412 having a flat surface 414 is located centrally betweenthe ends 406 and extends upwardly at an angle relative to the lid 182.The latch member 404 includes a camming portion 416 and a handle portion418 extending angularly relative to the camming portion 416. The cammingportion 416 is formed with a curved bottom camming surface 420 whichcams against the ribs 390 of the dirt cup lid 182, as described below. Acylindrical boss 422 extends between the camming portion 416 and thehandle portion 418, and is formed with a circular hole 424 for receivingthe pivot shaft to pivotally mount the latch member 404 to the latchsupport 402. The handle portion 418 of the latch member 404 includes apair of side walls 426 extending downwardly therefrom. Each side wall426 includes an outwardly extending nub 428. The nubs 428 are engaged bythe side latching tabs 380 of the lid 182 to retain the latchingmechanism in the latched position of FIG. 19. A pair of ramped surfaces430 are formed on a rear of the side walls 426 of the handle portion418. A retaining wall 432 extends downwardly from the handle portion 418and is formed with a rearwardly extending lip 434. Retaining wall 432prevents the dirt cup 150 from being pulled outwardly from the vacuumcleaner housing 104 when latching mechanism 400 is in the closedposition. A spring 434 is positioned on the pivot shaft 410 for biasingthe latch member to the unlatched position of FIG. 17. A front curvedindentation 436 is formed in a top surface 438 of the handle portion 418for comfortably receiving a user's thumb during operation of thelatching mechanism.

[0074] The dirt cup 150 is assembled by first placing open bottom endcap 288 of the filter member 280 within the opening 344 of the bottomfilter support member 332 (FIG. 5). The filter member 280 is pivotedtowards the apertured wall 212 with the circular post 296 of the top endcap 286 camming between the fingers 336 and 338 of the top filtersupport member 330. The cut-out area 342 allows the fingers 336 and 338to deflect outwardly permitting the circular post 296 to be insertedwithin the opening 340 of the top filter support member 330 as shown inFIG. 8. The stepped shoulder 348 of the open bottom end of the filterelement rests on the top surface of the bottom support member 332, asshown in FIG. 13. In its assembled positioned, the filter member 280 issupported vertically within the second dirt collecting chamber 218 bythe filter support 214 with the flared seal 350 extending out the bottomof the bottom support member.

[0075] To assemble the filter assembly 180 into the dirt cup 150, theuser aligns the channels 234 and 236 of the apertured wall 212 withtheir respective guide ribs 206 and 207 of the dirt cup 150, such thatthe filter member is positioned above the second dirt collecting chamber218. The filter assembly 180 slides down into the dirt cup chamber 194until the top rest 238 of front channel 234 abuts and rests on the topstep 208 of the front guide rib 206. As shown in FIG. 13A and asdescribed above, the bottom channel 242 is supported slightly above thetop edge of the partition wall 210 forming the gap 246 therebetween. Thelip 244 overlaps a portion of the partition wall forming a labyrinthseal at the bottom of apertured wall 212. When the filter assembly 180is in the full inserted position, the rib 256 of the rear wall 186 ofthe dirt cup is frictionally engaged within recess 254 of the verticaltab 252 (FIG. 14). In this assembled position, the flared seal 350 ofthe filter member 280 extends within the exhaust port 205, as describedabove.

[0076] Referring to FIG. 13, the dirt cup lid 182 is placed on the topof the dirt cup 150 with the peripheral groove 362 engaging the top edgeof the dirt cup and the center groove 364 engaging the top of theapertured wall and the top of the front guide rib with the lid seal 366sandwiched therebetween. The dirt cup is then held by the finger handle198 and is inserted horizontally into the front cavity 140 of the vacuumcleaner housing 104 (FIG. 4). When the dirt cup is fully inserted intothe housing, the dirt cup is lowered to seat the stepped portion 204 ofthe bottom wall of the dirt cup within the recessed area 164 of the dirtcup housing support 160.

[0077] Once the dirt cup is seated within the housing, the latchingmechanism 400 is moved into the latched position by applying a downwardforce on the handle portion 418 of the latch member 404 as indicated byarrow F, FIGS. 18 and 19. As shown in FIG. 18, latch member 404 pivotsabout the pivot shaft 410 causing the camming surface 420 of the cammingportion to engage and cam against the ribs 390 of the dirt cup lid 182.The rounded top surface 392 of the ribs 390 reduces thesurface-to-surface contact between the latch member 404 and the lid 182allowing the latch member to be easily moved between the latched andunlatched positions. The camming portion 416 applies a downward pressureon the lid 182 as indicated by arrows G, FIGS. 18 and 19. This downwardpressure compresses the lid seal 366, the inlet seal 158 and the outletseal 168. Because the dirt cup 150 is connected to the positive pressureend of the motor-fan assembly, the dirt-laden air stream input into thedirt cup creates a high positive pressure within the first and seconddirt collecting chambers. This high pressure within the dirt cup isapplied upwardly on the lid 182 and absent latching mechanism 400, thepressure would blow the lid 182 off of the dirt cup.

[0078] Referring to FIG. 19, the latch member 404 continues to pivotabout the pivot shaft 410 until the handle portion 418 sits within therecessed area 378 (FIG. 1) and contacts dirt cup lid 182, and thecamming portion 416 cams past a vertical axis 450 which extends throughthe center of the pivot shaft 410 while maintaining contact with thedirt cup lid 182. This over-center position of the latch member 404, andparticularly the camming portion 416 thereof retains the latchingmechanism 400 in the closed, latched position of FIG. 19. Theover-center position of the camming member actually tightens latchingmechanism 400 against the ribs 390 to retain the lid 182 on the dirt cup150. As the handle portion 418 moves into the recessed area 378, thenubs 428 of the handle portion cam against the angled top surface 384 ofside latching tabs 380 of the lid to deflect the latching tabsoutwardly. When the nubs clear the angled top surface, the latching tabssnap back to trap the nubs beneath the latching shoulders 382 with thelatching shoulders assisting in retaining the latching mechanism in theclosed, latched position. Further, as the handle portion 418 pivotsdownwardly into the recessed area 378, ramped surfaces cam against thetop of back wall 376 of the lid to pull the dirt cup 150 rearwardlytowards the rear wall 130 of the vacuum cleaner housing and retain thedirt cup in a vertical position on the housing. The retaining wall 432extends past the top of back wall 376 to prevent the dirt cup from beingpulled horizontally outwardly while the latching mechanism 400 is in thelatched position.

[0079] The bagless vacuum cleaner 100 is operated as described abovewith the dirt, dust and debris being filtered from the dirt-laden airstream and collected within the first dirt collecting chamber 216 andthe second dirt collecting chamber 218. After a quantity of dirt hasaccumulated within the first and second dirt collecting chambers, thedirt cup 150 must be removed from the vacuum cleaner 100 for emptyingthereof. To remove the dirt cup 150 from the vacuum cleaner housing 104,the user applies an upward pressure on the handle portion 418 of latchmember 404 to pivot the latching mechanism in a direction opposite arrowF, FIGS. 18 and 19. The camming portion 416 cams against the ribs 390 ofthe lid until the camming portion is positioned on the opposite side ofthe vertical axis 450 whereby the spring 434 moves the latch member 404upwardly until the handle portion 418 abuts the stop 412 of the latchsupport 402 (FIG. 17).

[0080] The dirt cup 150 is lifted upwardly and outwardly for removalfrom the vacuum cleaner housing and is transported to a waste container.The lid 182 is removed from the dirt cup and the dirt cup is inverted toempty the contents thereof into the waste container. The holes 346 allowthe dirt which has accumulated within the settling chamber 354 to passtherethrough and be emptied into the waste container. The frictionalengagement between recess 254 of the vertical tab 252 and the rib 256prevents the filter assembly 180 from inadvertently falling from thedirt cup when the dirt cup is inverted. In the event further cleaning ofthe dirt cup is required, an upward force is applied to horizontal tab250 and filter assembly 180 is lifted from the dirt cup chamber 194. Anydirt which may have accumulated on the apertured wall or on the filtermember may be brushed or otherwise removed therefrom. The filterassembly is re-inserted into the dirt cup as described above. The spring434 retains the latching mechanism 400 in the open, unlatched positionand prevents the latching mechanism from interfering with the dirt cupwhen the dirt cup is being inserted within the front cavity 140 of thehousing.

[0081] During insertion of the filter assembly back into the dirt cup,any dirt, which has accumulated within either of the channels 234 or 236of the apertured wall will be forced upwardly within the channels andfall out the notches 240. Absent notches 240, the dirt accumulatedwithin the channels will be compacted therein as the filter assembly 180slides along the guide ribs 206 and 207. This accumulated and compacteddirt will buildup at the top of the channels and prevent the filterassembly from being fully inserted within the dirt cup.

[0082] Accordingly, the swirling of the cyclonic action along with theexpansion and slowing of the airflow serves to separate the relativelylarge and heavy particles of dirt from the air stream upstream of thefilter member 280. Thus, clogging of the filter member 280 by such largeparticles is substantially eliminated, greatly improving sustainedperformance of the vacuum cleaner 100. Often in prior art systems thatlocate the filter element in the cyclonic chamber, the filter elementbecomes caked and clogged with large dirt particles. This clogging ofthe filter element results in a loss of airflow through the dirtseparation system of the vacuum cleaner which, in turn, quicklydiminishes the cleaning performance of these prior art vacuum cleaners.Large fibrous and stringy debris also becomes caked, wrapped orotherwise entangled on the filter element of these prior art dirtseparation systems.

[0083] The apertured wall of the present inventive dirt collectingsystem filters out such large, fibrous and relatively light debrisbefore the debris contacts the filter element and becomes entangledtherewith. Absent the apertured wall, the light fibrous and stringydebris, despite its relative large size, would fail to separate from theair in the first dirt collecting chamber and would become tangled on thefilter element. Thus, the apertured wall 212 serves as a preliminary orcoarse filter that filters relatively large, fibrous and stringy debrisfrom the air stream upstream of the filter element. The filter elementthen serves as the primary or fine filter that filters the remainingrelatively small, light and fine dirt particles from the air stream.

[0084] Referring to FIG. 2A, the present inventive dirt collectingsystem has been described by way of example above in combination with adirect air or dirty air vacuum cleaner system whereby the dirt-laden airstream is drawn into the motor-fan assembly and is blown through thedirt ducts and into the dirt up. Such a direct air system isdiagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 1A and creates a positive pressurewithin dirt ducts 122, dirt duct 258 as well as within the first andsecond dirt collecting chambers. However, it will be appreciated thatthe previously described dirt collecting system is equally applicable toindirect air or clean air vacuum cleaner systems whereby the dirt-ladenair is drawn through the dirt ducts and dirt cup and is filtered beforeentering the motor-fan assembly. Such an indirect air system isdiagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 1B which shows the motor-fanassembly located downstream of the dirt cup rather than upstream of thedirt cup as in the direct air system of FIG. 1A. The suction side ofmotor-fan assembly 114 is in fluid communication with and preferablyclosely adjacent to exhaust opening 166 of the dirt cup housing support160. The motor-fan assembly draws air into the dirt cup and through theexhaust port and outlet opening before entering the inlet opening of thefan. The air is then exhausted through the exhaust system 172 and intothe atmosphere. This indirect air system of FIG. 1 B creates a negativepressure within the dirt cup 150 which, in turn, draws air in throughthe dirt ducts 258, 122 and 116 as well as through the nozzle opening106 for removing dirt and debris from the floor surface.

[0085] During operation of the vacuum cleaner 100, light, fluffy,fibrous and stringy debris collected in the first dust collectingchamber becomes compacted in the bottom of the first dust collectingchamber during prolonged operation of the vacuum cleaner. As comparedwith dirt collecting systems which fail to compact the dirt and whichquickly fill during operation of the vacuum cleaner, the compactingeffect of the present dirt collecting system allows the vacuum cleaner100 to receive additional amounts of dirt and provides prolonged andsustained airflow through the dirt cup which, in turn, provides forlonger continuous operation of the vacuum cleaner.

[0086] This compacting effect is diagrammatically illustrated in FIGS.20A through 20D and is explained below. The dirt-laden air stream isinput into the first dirt collecting chamber through the inlet opening270 located adjacent to the top of the dirt cup. The dirt-laden airstream flows across the apertured wall 212 and into the curved frontwall 192 and curved side wall 190 of the dirt cup creating a cyclonicaction within the first dirt collecting chamber. As discussed above, theair stream undergoes expansion and slowing as it swirls within the firstchamber.

[0087] Because the inlet opening is positioned adjacent to the top ofthe first dirt collecting chamber, there exists a high pressure in theupper portion of the first chamber. Likewise, because the exhaust portis located at the bottom of the second dirt collecting chamber, thereexists a low pressure in the lower portion of the second dirt collectingchamber. The apertured wall 212 allows this low pressure to exist in thelower portion of the first dirt collecting chamber as well as in thesecond dirt collecting chamber. As the air stream enters the first dirtcollecting chamber, it will flow to the area of least pressure and exitthe first chamber at the lower portion thereof. As the air stream passesthrough the apertured wall at the lower portion of the first dirtcollecting chamber, the lower part of the apertured wall performs amajority of the coarse particle separation which results in a build-upof dirt particles on the lower part of the wall as illustrated in FIG.20A. This build-up of particles causes partial clogging of the lowerpart of the apertured wall.

[0088] As the lower part of the apertured wall becomes partiallyclogged, the air stream will seek the path of least resistance and leastpressure, which has now been raised to a middle part of the aperturedwall due to the partial clogging of the lower part of the aperturedwall. Eventually, partial clogging will occur at the middle part of theapertured wall in a similar manner to that described for the lower partof the apertured wall. The middle part of the wall performs a majorityof the coarse particle separation which results in a build-up andpartial clogging of the middle part of the wall, as shown in FIG. 20B.

[0089] As the middle part of the apertured wall becomes partiallyclogged, the air stream will again seek the path of least resistance andleast pressure, which has now been raised to an upper part of theapertured wall due to the partial clogging of the lower and middle partsof the apertured wall. Eventually, partial clogging will occur at theupper part of the apertured wall in a similar manner to that describedfor the lower and middle parts of the wall. The upper part of the wallperforms the majority of the coarse particle separation which results ina build-up and partial clogging of the upper part of the wall. Duringextend periods of cleaning, the apertured wall will become substantiallyequally clogged from the bottom to the top thereof, as shown in FIG.20C.

[0090] When the wall is substantially equally clogged from the bottom tothe top thereof, the path of least resistance and least pressure willagain exist in the lower portion of the dirt cup because of thesubstantially uniform partial clogging from the top to the bottom of theapertured wall, the high pressure created in the upper portion of thechamber by the higher location of the inlet opening, and the lowpressure created in the lower portion of the chamber by the lowerlocation of the exhaust port. This low pressure within the lower portionof the dirt cup causes a pressure drop from the top to the bottom of thefirst dirt collecting chamber. This pressure drop draws the air and dirtparticles contained within the first dirt collecting chamber downwardlyinto the low pressure lower portion the first chamber causing acompaction of the dust, dirt and debris contained within the firstchamber and within the air flowing within the first chamber. Thiscompaction is shown is illustrated in FIG. 20D.

[0091] This compacting of the dirt within the first dirt collectingchamber allows additional quantities of dirt laden air to enter the dirtcup and substantially cleans the apertured wall, thus providingprolonged and sustained airflow through the dirt cup which, in turn,provides for longer continuous operation of the vacuum cleaner. Thecompacting effect occurs cyclically during use of the vacuum cleaner andtakes place until the first dirt collecting chamber has beensubstantially filled with compacted dirt, dust and debris.

[0092] Because of the high negative pressure created at the exhaust portin vacuum cleaners having indirect air systems, the dirt is more tightlycompacted in the bottom of the first dirt collecting chamber of anindirect air vacuum cleaner as compared to a direct air vacuum cleaner.Further, the highest point of negative pressure, namely the eye of thefan, is positioned adjacent to the exhaust port in indirect air systems,whereas direct air systems create a positive pressure within the dirtcup and position the eye of its fan upstream of and a substantialdistance from the inlet opening 270. As a result, the pressure gradientswithin the dirt cup are believed to be greater in indirect air systemsthan in direct air systems. This higher pressure gradient across thelower portion of the apertured wall of an indirect air system create astronger top to bottom pressure drop which results in a strongerdownward pull on the debris in the first dirt collecting chamber in theclean air arrangement. Additionally, the anti-static additive in thedirt cup and apertured wall enhanced the compacting effect by preventingelectrostatic adhesion of the dirt particles to the dirt cup walls andapertured wall.

[0093] The present invention has been described above by way of exampleand includes an apertured wall 212 that extends substantially from thetop to the bottom of the dirt cup 150 and a partition wall 210 extendingupwardly from the bottom of the dirt cup to separate the dirt cupchamber 194 into a first dirt collecting chamber 216 and a second dirtcollecting chamber 218. However, it will be appreciated that alternativearrangements may be employed to separate the large and heavy debris fromthe air stream without departing from the scope and spirit of theinvention.

[0094] For example, FIG. 21A shows a second embodiment of a dirtcollecting system 500 which includes a solid non-porous wall 510extending upwardly from the bottom of the dirt cup. Wall 510 is similarto partition wall 210 of the first embodiment and extends substantiallyhigher than partition wall 210. An apertured wall 512 similar toapertured wall 212 of the first embodiment extends between wall 510 andthe top of the dirt cup. Apertured wall 512 is formed with one or moreapertures 514 and is substantially shorter than apertured wall 212 ofthe first embodiment, thus requiring the air stream to flow from thefirst chamber to the second chamber at a top of the dirt cup. However,apertured wall 512 does extend at least partially adjacent to the inletopening 270 to enable the apertured wall to be cleaned by the incomingair stream, as described above.

[0095]FIG. 21B shows a third embodiment of the dirt collecting system518 which is similar to dirt collecting system 500 of the secondembodiment. Dirt collecting system 518 includes a solid non-porous wall520 extending upwardly from the bottom of the dirt cup. Wall 520 issimilar to wall 510 of the second embodiment and extends higher thanwall 510. A window 522 is formed above wall 520 creating an open areabetween wall 520 and the dirt cup lid. Wall 520 extends at least to aheight above the top of the inlet opening 270 to located window 522entirely above the inlet opening 270 as illustrated in FIG. 21B. Thelarger the area of the apertured wall 512 of dirt collecting system 500and of the window 522 of the dirt collecting system 518, the better thesustained performance of the vacuum cleaner.

[0096] A fourth embodiment of the present dirt collecting system isillustrated in FIG. 22 and is indicated at 530. Dirt collecting system530 includes a non-porous parting wall 532 extending between andseparating first dirt collecting chamber 216 and second dirt collectingchamber 218. Dirt collecting system 530 further includes a dirt cup lid534 having a top wall 536 spaced above the top of the dirt cup by aperipheral wall 538. An apertured wall 540, or other suitable coarsefilter is located in the lid and extends above the first dirt collectingchamber 216. A passageway 542 is formed in dirt cup lid 534 which passesover the parting wall 532 to provide fluid communication between thefirst and second dirt collecting chambers.

[0097] A fifth embodiment of the dirt collecting system is shown in FIG.23 and is indicated at 550. Dirt collecting system 550 is generallysimilar to dirt collecting system 530 and includes a non-porous hollowcylindrical outlet tube 554 extending downwardly from dirt cup lid 534.Outlet tube 554 is positioned centrally in the first dirt collectingchamber 216. The inlet opening 270 is tangentially located in theannular space between the outlet tube 540 and the parting wall 532whereby a cyclonic action is created in the top of the first dirtcollecting chamber. The air exits the first dust collecting chamberthrough the outlet tube 540 and travels through the passageway 542 ofthe lid and into the second dirt collecting chamber.

[0098] The outlet tube 554 of dirt collecting chamber 550 mayalternatively be formed with one or more apertures. In such anembodiment, the outlet tube 554 is formed entirely of a mesh or screenand includes a either a screen or non-porous bottom. The inlet opening270 inputs the dirt-laden into the first dirt collecting chamber and islocated in the annular space between the cylindrical apertured tube andthe parting wall 532. As the incoming stream of dirt-laden aircyclonically swirls around the cylindrical apertured tube, the dirtparticles contained within the air stream impinge upon the aperturedtube to clean the peripheral surface thereof. An annular dust flange ordisc (not shown) may extend radially outward from a bottom end of theapertured tube. The outer peripheral edge of the dust flange is spacedinward of the inner surface of the first dirt collecting chamber formingan annular space therebetween. Dirt and other debris is separated fromthe air by the cyclonic action and the force of gravity. The separateddirt falls through the annular gap into the lower portion of the firstdirt collecting chamber. The dust flange may alternatively be locatedsomewhere between the top and bottom ends of the cylindrical screen. Insuch an embodiment, the inlet opening 270 is formed entirely above thedust flange.

[0099] The present dirt collecting system may be contained within asingle cylindrical dirt cup with the cylindrical filter member 280 beingaxially located therein (not shown). In this embodiment, the aperturedwall may take the form of a cylindrical screen, or other suitablefiltration material (not shown) concentrically located around the filterelement. The cylindrical screen is spaced radially inwardly from thedirt cup to form a first annular space therebetween, and is spacedradially outwardly from the filter element to form a second annularspace therebetween. The inlet opening 270 is tangentially located in thefirst annular space, which forms the first dirt collecting chamber. Thecyclonic action created by the tangential input of the air stream alongwith the cylindrical screen function as a pre-filter or coarse particleseparator to separate the large and heavy particles from the air stream.The air stream flows through the cylindrical screen and into the secondannular space which forms the second dirt collecting chamber. The filterelement functions as a primary filter or fine particle separator toseparate the small dirt particles from the air stream. The air streamflows through the filter element and out the exhaust port 205.

[0100] The invention has been described above by way of example in avertical orientation, i.e. with the dust collecting chambers and thefilter member extending vertically. The dirt cup may be orientedhorizontally whereby the dirt cup is turned ninety degrees and ispositioned on its side. Such an arrangement may be found to be moresuitable for a canister type vacuum cleaner. In such a horizontalorientation, the first dirt collecting chamber is preferably locatedbelow the second dirt collecting chamber, whereby gravity will assist inseparation of dirt from the air as the air travels upward from the firstdust collection chamber into the second dust collection chamber.However, it will be appreciated that other horizontal orientations ofthe previously described dirt cup may be employed. For example, thefirst and second dirt collecting chambers my be located horizontallyside by side, as in the vertical arrangement.

[0101] It will be appreciated that the previously described dirt cupsmay be free of a dirt cup lid with the open top of the dirt cup sealingagainst the vacuum cleaner housing. In such an arrangement, the latchingmechanism is located on the dirt cup housing support below the dirt cup.The latching mechanism presses upward on the bottom of the dirt cuppressing the open top of the dirt cup against the top handle cover 138forming a seal therebetween. Alternatively, the bottom of the dirt cupand the dirt cup housing support may include complementary inclinedsurfaces. The operator inserts the dirt cup horizontally into the frontcavity with the inclined surfaces camming the dirt cup upwardly to sealthe top of the cup against the top handle cover 138. Similarly, the topof the dirt cup and the top handle cover may be inclined, whereby theoperator presses the dirt cup into the front cavity and the inclined topof the cup is pressed against the inclined top handle cover forming aseal therebetween. Yet another alternative is to provide a dirt cupcover that is vertically movably mounted to the top handle cover. Alatching mechaism, as previously described, may be used to press thedirt cup cover down onto the top of the dirt cup forming a sealtherebetween.

[0102] Accordingly, the improved dirt collecting system for a vacuumcleaner is simplified, provides an effective, inexpensive, and efficientdevice which achieves all of the enumerated objectives. While there hasbeen shown and described herein several embodiments of the presentinvention, it should be readily apparent to persons skilled in the artthat numerous modifications may be made therein without departing fromthe true spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is intendedby the appended claims to cover all modifications which come within thespirit and scope of the invention.

1. A bagless vacuum cleaner including: a housing; a dirt cup; a particleseparator located in the housing for separating dirt particles from astream of dirt-laden air; a lid mounted on the dirt cup for retainingthe dirt particles within the dirt cup; a latch attached to the housingfor retaining the lid position on the dirt cup and for retaining thedirt cup on the housing, said latch including: a latch support rigidlyattached to the housing; and a latching member mounted on the latchsupport and pivotable about a pivot axis for movement between an openand closed position, said latching member having a camming portion whichengages the lid in an over-center position relative to a pivot axis whenthe latching member is placed in the closed position wherein an outwardpressure from within the dirt cup tightens the latching member againstsaid lid.
 2. The bagless vacuum cleaner of claim I wherein said lidincludes a lid seal positioned within a peripheral groove and a centergroove formed on a bottom surface of said lid to seal said lid to saiddirt cup.
 3. The bagless vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein said lidincludes an upwardly extending wall formed on a portion of a peripheraledge of a top surface of said lid, said wall having a center portionthat extends inwardly, a pair of sidewalls, and a back wall forming arecessed area.
 4. The bagless vacuum cleaner of claim 3 wherein said lidincludes a latching tab formed on each of said sidewalls, each latchingtab including a flat latching shoulder and an angled top surface.
 5. Thebagless vacuum cleaner of claim 3 wherein said lid includes a backlatching tab extending outwardly from said back wall into said recessedarea.
 6. The bagless vacuum cleaner of claim 3 wherein said lid includesa plurality of spaced parallel ribs formed on a top surface of said lidbehind and adjacent to said back wall, said plurality of spaced parallelribs extending in a front and rear direction and formed with a roundedtop surface.
 7. The bagless vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein said latchsupport includes a pair of opposed ends each formed with a circularhole, each of said circular holes being aligned with one another toreceive a pivot shaft.
 8. The bagless vacuum cleaner of claim 7 whereinsaid latch support includes a stop having a flat surface locatedcentrally between said pair of opposed ends and extending upwardly at anangle relative to said lid.
 9. The bagless vacuum cleaner of claim 1wherein said camming portion is formed with a curved bottom cammingsurface which cams against said plurality of spaced parallel ribs onsaid lid.
 10. The bagless vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein said latchmember includes a handle portion extending angularly relative to thecamming portion.
 11. The bagless vacuum cleaner of claim 10 wherein saidhandle portion includes a pair of sidewalls extending downwardly fromsaid handle portion.
 12. The bagless vacuum cleaner of claim 1 1 whereinsaid handle portion includes an outwardly extending nub extending fromeach of said sidewalls.
 13. The bagless vacuum cleaner of claim 1 1wherein said handle portion includes a ramped surface formed on a rearof each of said sidewalls.
 14. The bagless vacuum cleaner of claim 10wherein said handle portion includes a downwardly extending retainingwall and a rearwardly extending lip to prevent said dirt cup from beingpulled outwardly from the vacuum cleaner housing when said latch is inthe closed position.
 15. The bagless vacuum cleaner of claim 10 whereinsaid handle portion includes a front curved indentation formed in a topsurface of said handle portion for receiving a users thumb duringoperation of the latch.
 16. The bagless vacuum cleaner of claim 10wherein said handle portion includes a cylindrical boss extendingbetween said camming portion and said handle portion and formed with acircular hole for receiving said pivot shaft to pivotally mount thelatch member to the latch support.
 17. The bagless vacuum cleaner ofclaim 7 wherein said latch includes a spring positioned on said pivotshaft for biasing the latch member to the unlatched position.
 18. Abagless vacuum cleaner including: a motor-fan assembly for creating anairflow, said motor-fan assembly having a suction end which receives theairflow into the motor-fan assembly and a suction end which receives theairflow into the motor-fan assembly and a positive pressure end whichblows the airflow out of the motor-fan assembly; a nozzle formed with anozzle opening which is fluidly connected to the suction end of themotor-fan assembly; a housing connected to the nozzle; a dirt containersupported on the housing and forming a dirt collecting chamber, saiddirt container being formed with an inlet opening for fluidly connectingthe dirt collecting chamber to the positive pressure end of themotor-fan assembly and an exhaust opening for fluidly connecting thedirt collecting chamber to the atmosphere, said inlet opening conveysthe airflow blown from the motor-fan assembly into the dirt collectingchamber; and a latch connected to the housing, said latch applies apositive force against the dirt container which retains the dirtcontainer on the housing and seals the dirt collecting chamber, saidsealing of the dirt collecting chamber requires that the airflow blowninto the dirt collecting chamber exits said dirt collecting chamberthrough the exhaust opening.
 19. The vacuum cleaner of claim 18 whichincludes a lid for mounting on said dirt container.
 20. The vacuumcleaner of claim 19 wherein said latch includes a latch support rigidlyattached to the housing.
 21. The vacuum cleaner of claim 19 wherein saidlatch includes a latching member mounted on the latch support andpivotable about a pivot axis for movement between an open and closedposition, said latching member having a camming portion which engagesthe lid in an over-center position relative to a pivot axis when thelatching member is placed in the closed position wherein an outwardpressure from within the dirt cup tightens the latching member againstsaid lid.
 22. The bagless vacuum cleaner of claim 19 wherein said lidincludes a lid seal positioned within a peripheral groove and a centergroove formed on a bottom surface of said lid to seal said lid to saiddirt cup.
 23. The bagless vacuum cleaner of claim 19 wherein said lidincludes an upwardly extending wall formed on a portion of a peripheraledge of a top surface of said lid, said wall having a center portionthat extends inwardly, a pair of sidewalls, and a back wall forming arecessed area.
 24. The bagless vacuum cleaner of claim 23 wherein saidlid includes a latching tab formed on each of said sidewalls, eachlatching tab including a flat latching shoulder and an angled topsurface.
 25. The bagless vacuum cleaner of claim 23 wherein said lidincludes a back latching tab extending outwardly from said back wallinto said recessed area.
 26. The bagless vacuum cleaner of claim 23wherein said lid includes a plurality of spaced parallel ribs formed ona top surface of said lid behind and adjacent to said back wall, saidplurality of spaced parallel ribs extending in a front and reardirection and formed with a rounded top surface.
 27. The bagless vacuumcleaner of claim 20 wherein said latch support is rigidly secured tosaid housing and includes a pair of opposed ends each formed with acircular hole, each of said circular holes being aligned with oneanother to receive a pivot shaft.
 28. The bagless vacuum cleaner ofclaim 27 wherein said latch support includes a stop having a flatsurface located centrally between said pair of opposed ends andextending upwardly at an angle relative to said lid.
 29. The baglessvacuum cleaner of claim 21 wherein said camming portion is formed with acurved bottom camming surface which cams against said plurality ofspaced parallel ribs on said lid.
 30. The bagless vacuum cleaner ofclaim 21 wherein said latch member includes a handle portion extendingangularly relative to the camming portion.
 31. The bagless vacuumcleaner of claim 30 wherein said handle portion includes a pair ofsidewalls extending downwardly from said handle portion.
 32. The baglessvacuum cleaner of claim 31 wherein said handle portion includes anoutwardly extending nub extending from each of said sidewalls.
 33. Thebagless vacuum cleaner of claim 31 wherein said handle portion includesa ramped surface formed on a rear of each of said pair of sidewalls. 34.The bagless vacuum cleaner of claim 29 wherein said handle portionincludes a downwardly extending retaining wall and a rearwardlyextending lip to prevent said dirt cup from being pulled outwardly fromthe vacuum cleaner housing when said latch is in the closed position.35. The bagless vacuum cleaner of claim 29 wherein said handle portionincludes a front curved indentation formed in a top surface of saidhandle portion for receiving a user's thumb during operation of thelatch.
 36. The bagless vacuum cleaner of claim 30 wherein said handleportion includes a cylindrical boss extending between said cammingportion and said handle portion and formed with a circular hole forreceiving a pivot shaft to pivotally mount the latch member to the latchsupport.
 37. The bagless vacuum cleaner of claim 27 wherein said latchincludes a spring positioned on said pivot shaft for biasing the latchmember to the unlatched position.
 38. A method of inserting and removinga dirt container in a bagless vacuum cleaner housing with a latch sothat the dirt container is retained within the housing and positivelysealed to hold dirt and debris therein, the method comprising the stepsof: sliding the dirt container into the vacuum cleaner housing so that abottom end of the dirt container is against a generally horizontalsurface within the housing and a top end of the dirt container is alsopositioned within the housing; moving said latching member to a latchedposition to apply a sufficient pressure against at least one of said topand bottom ends of the dirt container thereby trapping the dirtcontainer within the housing and positively sealing said dirt container;removing said dirt container from said housing by moving said latchingmember to an open position; and sliding said dirt container outwardlyaway from said housing alongside said generally horizontal surface toremove the container from said housing.
 39. The method of claim 38further includes the step of moving a lid into a sealing position on thetop of said dirt container before inserting said dirt container intosaid housing.
 40. The method of claim 38 wherein said step of movingsaid latching member to a latched position includes pulling the dirt cuprearwardly towards a rear wall of the vacuum cleaner housing.
 41. Themethod of claim 38 further includes the step of lowering the dirtcontainer to seat said dirt container within a recessed area of saidhousing after said dirt container has been slid into said housing. 42.The method of claim 38 further including the step of lifting said dirtcontainer from a recessed area of said housing after moving saidlatching member to an open position and prior to sliding said dirtcontainer outwardly from said housing.